Light and Dark
by LaurenAshleyMay
Summary: Sorry I couldn't think of a different title. There is a lot of tension between Seth and Kendra, and more than your average sibling tension.
1. Chapter 1

Just my own "what I would like to happen" for the characters of Fablehaven. None of these characters belong to me; they belong to Brandon Mull.

Seth's POV

Family can be really annoying. Especially siblings. Kendra seems to get all of the attention these days. Just because she is "fairy kind" doesn't mean she's all that. I mean, everybody associates the fairies with the "light", and of course, me being a shadow charmer, everybody thinks that just randomly I am going to turn evil. I am really not planning on it, but they won't listen. They never listen to Seth, who, even though he is a Knight, they keep him out of the inner circle of the Sorenson family, and keep Kendra in.

_I need to be alone, _I thought.

As I walked out the door, ignoring Kendra asking where I was going, I grabbed a coat. I didn't know how long I would be out.

I stumbled and tripped over the gnarled roots of the looming trees as I made my way to Graulas's lair.

Kendra's POV

Seth amazes me with how well he can get into trouble. Just this morning he got in trouble for sneaking some chocolate before breakfast. It is usually something like that, or giving the satyrs batteries. Sometimes he would go off into the forest just to go for some walks, but he has never been gone for this long. I didn't want to get him in trouble, but-

"Kendra, have you seen Seth lately?" Grandpa Sorenson's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Ummmm......no......not since he ran off into the forest." I said hesitantly.

"That boy is going to get himself killed if he isn't careful. I declare..." he trailed off as my parents walked in. Oh. No. This was not going to go well.

Seth's POV

I knew it was getting late (and dark, which was not a good time to be out, alone, in the middle of the forest), but I didn't care. I felt a sort of peace being away from my family.

"Hello, young Seth. What brings you here?" said Graulas.

"I needed to talk to someone other than my family."

"But your family is the closest thing you will ever have. Why do you wish to get away from them?"

"Because when you aren't needed in a family, and no one notices when you are hiding in your room, or, in my case, in the shadows, you really need to talk to someone who understands you." I replied, finally to say what had been bugging me for weeks now.

"Hmm....have you been noticing any changes in your behavior lately? Like, drastic changes?"

"As a matter of fact, I have. I've..." I trailed off, trying to collect my thoughts. I had noticed that my attitude had become much more, well, darker. Not only that, but my occasional hearing of the wraiths held in the dungeons were becoming more frequent. What could it mean, and could Graulas give me the answers?


	2. Chapter 2

None of these characters belong to me (sadly), they belong to Brandon Mull.

Kendra's POV

"Seth! Seth! SETH!!! Get back here right now!!!!" Everyone in my family was yelling this at the top of their lungs, even me, even though I knew our search was in vain. Even if he was in the garden, we probably wouldn't be able to see him. Ever since he had learned how to "shadow walk", he had been doing it all the time. I think he did it just to annoy us.

I mean, I agreed with Grandpa Sorenson when he told me that we wouldn't be telling Seth everything. He was doing the right thing, I thought. If he was captured, he would probably tell the Sphinx everything. There was a chance that he would have Stockholm Syndrome (if a person is captured and defects to his captor's side).

Sometimes I just wanted to slap him.

Seth's POV

"Yeah, a lot of things seem to be changing with me. My attitude is, well, darker. I am always thinking morbid thoughts and I get really annoyed with anything that has to do with the light. Especially with my sister. She gets all the attention just because she is fairykind. Plus, the never ending conversations with the demons and wraiths and who knows what else down in the dungeon gets really annoying. Also, all the knight leaders think that-"

"Someday you will become evil?" Graulas finished for me.

"Yeah…um…how did you know" I asked, suddenly tentative.

"Because that is what is expected of all shade walkers. To serve the dark. To be the living incarnation of the dark that people can understand. It has become the stereotype of all shade walkers to this day- even you, Seth.

"So, are these things happening to me, like the changes in my attitude, signs of me becoming evil?" I asked, feeling like I was talking to a doctor asking about some sickness.

"Yes. Even now I can see the beginnings of a dark fire within you. Already your presence has an aura of darkness around it, unlike your sister's, whose is an aura of light."

"But what if I don't want to become evil?" I asked, hoping that there was an alternative.

"Then you will always walk a slim path between light and darkness."

Kendra's POV

After a while of yelling for Seth, to no avail, we went back inside and enjoyed some hot chocolate.

Too late, we realized, that the hot chocolate my parents had drank had Viola's milk in it.


	3. Chapter 3

Yet again I am saying this- none of these characters belong to me; they belong to Brandon Mull.

Seth's POV

I stood there, shocked at what I had heard. I was expected to become evil. That explained a whole lot.

For starters, the look on grandpa's face when I told him. Second, why the creatures down in the dungeon were talking to me so much. And thirdly, why I was so prejudiced against my sister.

"What should I do, Graulas? I don't want to affect my family, but I feel that if I leave that they will be in more danger than when I am here." I said.

"I do not know, Seth. That is for you to decide."

I talked with him a little longer, and then, as I was leaving-

"You should go and talk to Nero more. He will train you; bring out more of the abilities than you have now." Graulas said, with a smile.

"Okay, I will."

As I was walking back to the house, I just happened to look up at the moon and see that it was already high in the sky. I knew what I was going to get when I got back.

Kendra's POV

I was really starting to get annoyed with Seth. Yeah, annoyed. Sure, as a sister, I should be worried like my parents, but I wasn't. He thinks that he can just rum off on his own and do whatever he likes. Sometimes I just wanted to-

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Seth said, as he walked through the door.

"Young man, where have you been? Do you know how worried we have been? Explain why you went into the forest, alone, when it was almost dark, and then you come out at some crazy hour in the morning!"

"I just needed to be alone." Seth said, not backing down.

"Why can't you be like your sister, Seth?"

_Oh dear, _I thought. _Here we go._

"Oh yeah, just use that line every time. Why can't you be like your sister, Seth?" he said in a mock voice of my grandfather's.

I was shocked. I had never seen him this mad before.

"As if I would want to be like her." Seth continued. "Miss goody-two shoes! The one who gets all the praise. The one who knows everything. The one who gets the special treatment, just because she is like that. And because of the way I am, I can't be treated like that at all, can I? Can I?!"

"Seth, please try to understand-"

"Understand? UNDERSTAND?" he yelled back at grandfather. "Maybe I would understand if someone would teach me! That's where I was tonight. Talking to someone. Trying to understand! And now I do! I-"

With a horrified look on his face, Seth cut off.


	4. Chapter 4

None of these characters belong to me-they belong to Brandon Mull.

Seth's POV

I couldn't believe I had talked like that to them. I felt horrible. But, in a way, Graulas was right. I was darker. While I was venting all the anger and irritation in me, I felt the darkness. It was enjoyable, in a sick, twisted way, the way I could feel the anger and evil boiling up within me.

"Seth, is everything okay?" Grandpa asked.

"I was about to reply when suddenly, I heard a voice, beckoning to me.

_Seth......release us.....we will serve you for a thousand years....if you would only free us....._

Great. They were talking to me again. It seemed like I couldn't get a moments peace in this house.

"Ugh," I said, as I grabbed my head. "Leave me alone!"

I ran upstairs, hoping to find solace in mine and Kendra's room.

Kendra's POV

_Well, that was strange, _I thought. What was wrong with Seth? Who had he gone to talk to? And who did he want to leave him alone? Me? Grandpa? Grandma? Mom or Dad? It made no sense.

As these thoughts swirled around in my head, I saw Grandpa and Warren rushing upstairs after Seth, yelling his name.

"Well, that was strange." my dad said.

"Honey, you never can tell when these teenagers will have these mood swings."

Thank you, Tanu. Thank you so much for putting a potion in their hot chocolate that clouded their vision from what really happened.

Which, what did happen, I had no idea.

Seth's POV

I stumbled into the room, still clutching my head. The creature's voices were muffled, but just barely, by the distance that was between us.

"Okay Seth, what is going on?" My grandpa asked with a worried look on his face. Warren just stood there.

"I really don't know." I replied in a shaky voice.

"Oh, I think you do know, and you just aren't telling us." Grandpa said with a stern look now.

"Oh, I think I don't know what is going on. Maybe you should stop assuming-" I trailed off as I felt the anger rising again within me.

"Seth, try to understand, we are only trying to help...." Grandpa trailed off as he said what I knew to be a lie.

"Really. Are you? Did you comfort me when my parents were prisoners? Do you treat me with the same respect that you treat Kendra? Do you include me in your conversations about the artifacts, or the demon prison? I don't think so. That's why I went into the forest tonight. I wanted to talk to someone, to actually be accepted by someone. So why don't you go ahead and go and talk to Kendra again. I'm sure she has loads to tell you." I finished, tears streaming down my face.

"Seth, I-"

"Leave!!! Just leave me alone!" I yelled.

I watched them go down the stairs without a backward glance.

And in that moment, I decided that my meetings with Nero would become much more frequent.


	5. Chapter 5

None of these characters belong to me, they belong to Brandon Mull.

Seth's POV

_That was a long night, _I said to myself as I climbed out of bed. _Those creatures are really messing up my schedule._

"Seth! Time for breakfast!" I heard my Grandma call from downstairs. I really didn't want to endure another day of Kendra getting everything, and me getting nothing.

As I clomped down the stairs, I heard the wraiths begin talking again.

_"Seth……….Set us free….we will serve you….set us free…"_

I thought about going back to bed, but decided against it. It was better to get used to it than to give up each day. I tucked into a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and milk. After breakfast, I heard a rumbling sound coming from the forest, which I knew only I could hear.

_"Seth…I would like to speak with you again tonight. Come right at dusk."_

Kendra's POV

I followed Grandpa, Warren, Tanu, and Grandma into Grandpa's office. We had loads to discuss about the artifacts. And, strangely enough, since he had never done this, he watched us walk in with a glare on his face, disrupting his usually cheerful features.

"Grandpa, what is wrong with Seth?" I asked, really concerned about his well being.

"We really don't know, Kendra. Maybe it is just teenager mood swings. Maybe it has something to do….with…well…"

"The shadow charmer part of him?"

"Yes…do you know where he went in the forest last night, Kendra?" Warren asked.

"No…but I wish I did. Then I could follow him." I said.

"We don't want you going into the forest after dark, Kendra. There are a good many of dark creatures out there that would like you dead." Tanu said.

"I agree, Kendra. And one day, I worry, that Seth will become one of those creatures." Grandpa said with a grim look on his face.

We talked for a very long time, and my mind did not once wonder what Seth was doing. How I wish I had wondered.

Seth's POV

I followed the same path I had taken a couple of nights before to Graulas's lair. I wondered what he wanted to speak to me about. Probably lessons with Nero. I was really looking forward to learning more about my abilities, but at the same time, I was apprehensive. I didn't realize that while I had been thinking, I had arrived at Graulas's lair.

"Hello, Seth. Our other guest should be here- ah, here he is now." Graulas said with a smile on his face.

I heard a large creature coming, and I knew it to be Nero. I hadn't seen him in a long time, and yet, he hadn't changed a bit.

"Hi, Nero. Long time, no see, eh?" I said, a little nervously.

"Yes, young Seth, it has been too long. Now, I think, we will be seeing each other more often." Nero said in his deep voice.

"Nero, I need you to help Seth through his time when his abilities are maturing. He doesn't want to hurt anyone in his family, and I don't want him to hurt any of the either. So here is what I would like you to do…."


	6. Chapter 6

Sadly, none of these characters belong to me, they belong to Brandon Mull.

Kendra's POV

_Great. _I thought to myself. _Seth just had to run off again, didn't he? _

Luckily for us, Mom and Dad had just left to go and get something to eat. We had until they got back, which wouldn't be for quite a while, to find Seth.

"Kendra, are you sure you don't know where he would have gone?" Warren said, grabbing a flashlight. He and grandpa were getting ready to go into the forest to look for him.

"I'm positive! He rarely talks to me these days; much less tell me where he is going in the forest." I replied, a little exasperated.

"I've found something; though I doubt any of us will understand it," Grandma said as she came thumping down the stairs. In her hand was a piece of paper.

She handed me the paper. I looked at it, and I was extremely confused. There were words, but not words I could understand. Being able to read any language came in handy, but now, it didn't. I handed it off to grandpa.

"I don't understand it at all. It just looks like a bunch of gibberish," I stated. "Do you make any sense of it?"

"I recognize it as the writing of demons. Though as far as interpreting it, I have no idea." Grandpa said.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked.

"We look for him," Warren said, as he walked out the door.

Seth's POV

Graulas had explained to Nero what was happening to me. How I was more irritable, the whole creatures in the dungeon thing, and the sibling thing. I still couldn't get over how well she was treated. She should be called "Princess Kendra". I scowled inwardly as I thought about her.

"Well, Seth, are you ready to begin your lessons? I cannot start tonight, and I am sure that you can't either, so how about we start tomorrow night?" Nero said to me.

"Yes, I think that would be appropriate. I am surprised that they haven't sent out the search parties..." I trailed off as I heard Warren's voice yelling my name.

Graulas chuckled. "There is the search party, Seth. You need to be at Nero's lair tomorrow by dusk. Do not be late."

"I won't Graulas. See you tomorrow, Nero."

"See you then, Seth." Nero replied.

Kendra's POV

Surprisingly, only after a few minutes of yelling for Seth, Grandpa dragged him in by the arm. He threw him off, and began to tell him off.

"Why can you never tell anyone where you are going?!?!?" Grandpa yelled.

"Well maybe there isn't anyone to tell! You, Warren, Kendra, and Tanu are always in there talking, Grandma is always busy with Viola, and sure, I am going to tell my parents." Seth lashed back.

"Seth-er, um..."

"See?! I am nobody! Only after I am gone does someone care." Seth yelled.

While he was yelling, the fire in the grate went out, and the temperature suddenly dropped. Seth, after that, seemed awfully pale.


	7. Chapter 7

None of these characters belong to me- they belong to Brandon Mull.

Seth's POV

_What just happened?!!?_ I thought to myself. _Did I do that??!!?_

"Why is the fire out? And you all really need to turn the thermostat up. Seth, get up off the floor; it's dirty you know." Mom said as she walked through the door.

I stared in shock as my dad re-kindled the fire and mom turned up the heat. Everyone looked as if nothing had happened, but as I looked at Grandpa, he gave me a look that seemed to say _we'll finish this later. _

All that had happened was that my powers, my dark powers, lashed out in self defense. _You know that's not true _I thought to myself. _You did it on purpose. Maybe not knowingly, but on purpose. _

_No!!! I didn't! _ I thought. I pushed the idea that I had wanted to hurt them or harm them or do anything to hurt my family to the dark recesses of my mind. I hoped that I never would have to think that again.

I looked outside, and realized that I only had a few hours until I was due at Nero's. How was I going to get away? Then it hit me. I glared at Kendra as she followed Grandpa, Tanu and Warren into his study. Perfect timing.

Kendra's POV

As I followed Grandpa and the others into his study, I looked over and saw Seth. He was glaring at me, again. I turned away, and shut the door behind me.

I wanted answers about Seth. They wanted answers about Seth. We both wanted them now.

"What was with the whole fire-goes-out thing and temperature-drops thing?" I said, breaking the silence.

"Those are two of the many powers that Shadow Charmers possess. Though, Seth using them is way over my head. I thought he would never hurt anything or anybody unless…" Grandpa trailed off.

"Unless something has changed in him." Warren finished.

Seth's POV

I stepped up to the door to Grandpa's study and listened. I heard murmurs within. Perfect. They wouldn't even realize that I would be gone.

I stomped up the stairs to make them think that I was going to my room. I then quietly tip-toed down the stairs and out the door. I would have to hurry if I wanted to be there on time

I climbed up the logs and into Nero's room. It hadn't changed at all. The seeing stone was still where it had been the last time I had been here, and there were still bones everywhere.

"Hello? Nero?" I called as my voice echoed back to me.

"Oh, Seth, it is you. I thought it was someone else. Please, do sit down. We have much to cover tonight." Nero replied as he stood up. I hadn't seen him in the shadows.

As I sat down, I told him what had happened last night as I had gotten home.

"It is a good thing that we are beginning your training now, and not later. Your powers are ready to be released and used. They are bursting at the seams. Those two abilities, putting fire out and lowering temperature, are just the beginning of your powers." Nero said after I had finished.

"So, there are other things that I will be able to do?" I said.

"Yes, Seth. There are a great many powers that lie within you. There is Dark Magic within all Shadow Charmers, and in some, more than others. There is a great amount in you, more than I have ever seen in any one charmer. You will be very powerful once your training is complete." Nero explained.

"So," I began. "Where do we start?"


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note

Hey, sorry it has taken me so long to update….my history teacher is evil with homework…but anyway I hope to put up a couple of chapters this weekend…


	9. Chapter 8

Note- none of these characters belong to me; they belong to the wonderful author Brandon Mull.

Kendra's POV

Why did Seth have to be such an idiot sometimes? Tanu was running out of forgetful potions, and he kept running off. We couldn't keep the truth from our parents much longer. Even now they were beginning to suspect something. They wandered around the house, looking for Seth, even when we told them that he was up in his room.

"Kendra, where is Seth?" my dad asked. I sighed. I hated lying to them.

"I told you already; he is upstairs asleep. He spent the whole day outside running around." I replied for the thousandth time.

"Okay….." my dad said as he walked away.

I looked over at Grandma and we both sighed at the same time. Neither of us liked lying to them, but we had to, if we wanted to keep Seth alive. Because if dad found out that he was sneaking off into the woods, I think Seth wouldn't be able to sit down for a month.

Seth's POV

Nero had been right. He did want to cover a lot tonight.

We began with talking about the various powers I could possess. It went from simple temperature dropping and putting fires out to being able to cast dark magic on enemies. Especially we talked about communicating with dark creatures.

"So, I can speak the language of the centaurs, demons, trolls, and any other dark creatures, correct?" I said, trying to comprehend everything he was saying. I really needed something to take notes on it.

"Yes. Just as we are conversing now, in Jiganti, the language of giants, you could go and have a conversation with the centaurs in Tauran." He said. Yeah, next time I would definitely bring a notebook.

"So…..where do we start with my powers?" I said, anticipating.

"Well…do you know how you put out the fire?" Nero said.

"No….not exactly. It just, you know, happened." I said. This seemed like a good place to start.

"Well, let us see if you can make it happen again." Nero said.

He walked over to a pile of wood and set fire to it. I saw the flames, and wondered how I had put out a fire in the first place. Then I remembered. I had been angry. I subconsciously wanted to disappear, so I put part of the light out, subconsciously, I guess.

I thought about Kendra. I thought about everything she could do, and I couldn't. I released my anger that I had kept bottled up for all these weeks.

Suddenly, the fire went out. Just like that. Snuffed out as if a sudden wind had blown through the room.

"Very good, Seth. Would you like to tell me how you put it out?" Nero said.

"I remembered that I had been angry, so I thought about everything that had made me angry." I said.

"Very good, Seth. Much of the dark magic you possess you will find to be easier to use when you are angry. You need to be able to call upon that magic at any time though. We must try again, but do not try to make yourself angry. Just try to put the fire out." Nero said, as he re-kindled the fire.

"Okay…I'll try…" I said uncertainly.

I looked at the fire. I imagined the fire going out and me disappearing into the darkness.

The fire went out.

Kendra's POV

_Does Seth even know what time it is? _I thought to myself. Mom and dad had gone to bed early saying that they wanted to get out early and go to a yard sale. Fine by us; we were going to need the time to talk to Seth, if he ever got back.

I was lying on my back in my room. My thoughts drifted back to Gavin…Navarog… who ever he was.

_No! Don't even think about this! _I thought to myself. I felt tears spring to my eyes as I thought about Gavin/Navarog. I really had liked him, but I found out that the Society will do anything to get at me. I needed to stay on my guard from now on. No more guys would cloud my vision.

Why wasn't Seth back? I wondered if he was okay. Suddenly, I heard a little ping on my window. I heard it again. I went over and looked out. There stood Seth, bleary eyed, as if he had been pulling an all-nighter to study for something. I opened my window and called to him.

"Seth! Where on earth have you been??" I said.

"I went on a walk and walked longer than I thought. Can you buy me some time so that I can get in the house with out getting in trouble?" Seth asked.

I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help him, but I didn't want to get in trouble because I helped him.

"Kendra!!! Are you still there?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, just hang on!"


	10. Chapter 9

Okay….let this be a disclaimer for the rest of the story because I am really getting tired of writing this. None of these characters belong to me; they belong to the wonderful author, Brandon Mull.

Seth's POV

What was Kendra doing? I had asked her to give me a little time to get into the house, and she was standing there with a thoughtful look on her face. It wasn't that hard to make a decision, you know. I guess she was just being Miss Goody-Two Shoes again.

I sighed. "Kendra, I would like to come inside before Christmas!" I yelled up at her.

"Well why don't you come in through the back door?" Warren's voice said in my ear.

I scowled up at Kendra. She had probably gone and told them. I knew I shouldn't have trusted her, even if she is my sister. We are polar opposites.

I followed Warren inside for what I knew to be the talking to of my life.

Well, I guess it wasn't so bad. Basically, I just ignored Grandpa and Grandma's rambling on about how "irresponsible" I was and "how I need to be more like my sister" and a whole bunch of questions about where I had been sneaking off too. That, I didn't answer. I needed to go there, so that I didn't hurt any member of my family. I wanted to tell them about everything that had been happening, but I couldn't. I just couldn't.

Kendra's POV

I had seen Warren come up behind Seth, and saw him look up and glare at me. It took me a minute to realize why he had- he thought that the moment of silence had been me going to get them. To tell them. To get him in trouble. But I hadn't! Why couldn't he just cut me some slack? Why? Who had my brother become? Some demon of the night that hated everything that had to do with the light?

I had watched Seth the whole two hours that he was being yelled at. His face was calm, even serene, but I could almost see the storm raging within him. I wondered what had happened to him these past few months. He had gone from happy go-lucky kid to…something indescribable.

I wished I could do something to help him. But at the same time, he did need to become a little more responsible. I felt divided. I didn't know what to do.

Seth's POV

After all of the yelling (finally, yes, it was over), I went upstairs to practice my newly discovered abilities.

I went into the corner and concentrated on lowering the temperature. I felt a sudden chill, and I knew that it had been me. It was awesome being able to do things like this…I wondered what I would be able to do once I got my magic under control.

"Seth…um…are you in there?" I heard Kendra ask.

I didn't reply, not wanting her to hear me, nor see me.

"Seth...I have a feeling that you are in here, but you are shadow walking. So, just let me say this. I don't know what is going on with you, I don't know where you go every night, I don't even know if you are my brother any more. But I just want you to know that if you ever need someone, at all, I'm here. I've always been here. So if you need me-"

"Stop, Kendra." I said, stepping out of the shadows. "Just stop. I know. I am just going through some stuff, and I really feel like being alone nowadays. Yes, I am still your brother, even if it doesn't seem like it. I…" I trailed off as I heard Grandpa yelling up at us from the garden.

We both looked out the window and saw something, well, unexpected. Nero was standing in on the edge of the garden with a long rope in his hand. Attached to the rope, though, was the centipede I had seen on Midsummer Eve.

Nero held up the rope to me and said:

"For you, Seth."


	11. Chapter 10 ending

Kendra's POV

I stared in shock at what Nero had in his hand. Why on earth did he have the centipede with him, and why did it seem like he was giving it to Seth?

"Excuse me, let me rephrase that. We are going to practice controlling it. It isn't really yours Seth, but if you ever need a ride around the preservation, this centipede will help you."

"Nero, what do you mean, "practicing with it"? Has Seth been coming to see you every night?" Grandpa said in shock.

I saw the embarrassment on Nero's face when he realized what he had said. He had revealed where Seth had been going.

"Nero…umm…I guess the cats out of the bag!" Seth called down.

All of the sudden, the centipede started squirming. One of its wings hit the rope, and because it was so sharp, cut right through it. The centipede was free, and was going straight for the house.

Seth's POV

I was so going to get it from Grandma after this was all over. She considered Nero to be EXTREMELY dangerous.

I then saw the centipede get loose. I didn't know what I was doing. I just wanted to be down there and help out. Suddenly, I saw black smoke around me, and then I was on the ground next to Grandpa.

"Seth! Seth! How did you do that?!" Kendra called down to me.

I didn't listen. I ran as hard and as fast as I could towards the centipede. I wondered if I could do what I just did again. I thought about getting on top of the centipede. I saw the black smoke again, and then I felt the hard shell of the bug.

"Seth! Get down from there!" Grandpa and Warren said at the same time. I couldn't answer, because all my concentration was staying on the centipede and not falling off to my doom.

I finally got my grip, and tried to figure out how to calm this thing down. I figured that I probably couldn't get it to go down here in the garden, lest it crush something or someone, so I decided to fly it. I put my legs around its body and held on tight. I grabbed some of the legs (which, by the way, was disgusting). I pulled up, and it went straight up into the air.

"Aaaarrrgghhh!!!!!" I yelled. I felt myself slipping. I let pulled on the legs and we went down. Maybe now I was getting the hang of it.

I pulled the legs to the left and to the right until I finally got it to go the way I wanted it to. I flew it over the forest, leading it away from everyone.

Kendra's POV

I watched in horror as Seth was suddenly on the centipede. What did he think he could do? He would be killed if he fell off! I ran from the window and down the stairs and into the garden. I was really worried, and didn't want anything to happen to him.

Everyone was watching in amazement as he was steering the centipede towards the forest. About halfway towards the middle, Seth suddenly disappeared off the back; then, he was next to me.

"Seth, you were amazing!" I said, giving him a hug.

"Seth…" Grandpa said as he walked towards me.

"I can explain-" Seth started.

"Seth, is it true that you have been going to Nero's late at night?" Grandpa said.

"Yes. But only because I wanted to try and get myself under control. I didn't want to hurt any of you, and I was afraid that if I didn't get my magic under control, that what I feared the most would happen." Seth explained.

"Why didn't you tell us, then?" I said.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't let me go." Seth said.

"Well, no matter what, it is good that you have an explanation for where you have been going. I suppose that it is appropriate to let you continue your lessons with Nero." Grandma said.

"Seth, well done just there." Nero boomed.

"Thanks, Nero. I guess I will see you tonight!" Seth called back.

At least that was all cleared up. I was proud of Seth-my brother, the Shadow Charmer. I guess we all were, standing there, watching the giant centipede go off into the sunset. Not exactly your storybook ending, but still good.

THE END


End file.
